This invention relates to a cosmetic applicator and dispenser having a rotating applicator head or tip constituted of a core having a surface for carrying cosmetic material and for applying the cosmetic material which is delivered from the dispenser.
For purposes of illustration, but without limitation, the invention will be particularly described with reference to applicators for lip gloss.
A typical applicator contains an elongated core with a multiplicity of fibers attached to the core such that the fibers extend outwardly therefrom to form a brush fiber array surrounding the core over a substantial portion of the length of the core. This combination of a core and array of fibers attached to the core provides a simple, low-cost and effective brush for the application of cosmetic materials.
Such applicators are well known and widely used in the cosmetics industry. Commonly, the proximal end of the brush is mounted in a receptacle in a threaded cap of a cosmetic material container, so that the brush projects into the container when the cap is in container-closing position. Upon removal of the cap, the brush carries a quantity of cosmetic material, such as lip gloss, out of the container, and is manipulated to deliver and apply the product to the user's body, for example the user's lips, the cap serving as a handle for the brush. Since the brush only carries a limited amount of the cosmetic material upon removal from the container, such brushes must be repeatedly dipped into the container during the application of cosmetic material to refill the brush with a sufficient amount of the cosmetic material. Thus the user must stop applying the cosmetic material to resupply the applicator with more cosmetic material as the cosmetic material on the brush is depleted.
Also, because existing applicators are fixed with respect to the handle, the majority of the cosmetic material contained on the surface is applied onto a small concentrated region of the user's body, and is subsequently moved around and spread out by the tip. Because of this, even distribution of cosmetic material can be difficult to obtain. Since ease of use and effective distribution of cosmetic material is important, a cosmetic brush desirably would apply even amounts of the cosmetic material to the user's body without using excess cosmetic material.